How to do effective self-relaxation?

  Relaxation therapy has a good anti-stress effect. When entering the relaxation state, the sympathetic nerve activity function decreases, which is manifested by the decrease of the skeletal muscle tone of the whole body, i.e. the relaxation of the muscles, the slowing down of the respiratory rate and heart rate, the decrease of blood pressure, and the warmth of the limbs, the mind please wake up, the mood is relaxed and pleasant, and the feeling of general comfort. At the same time, the activity function of the sympathetic nervous system is strengthened and the secretion of anabolic and related hormones is promoted. After relaxation training, through the regulation of nerve, endocrine and plant nervous system functions, it can influence the function of all aspects of the body, so as to achieve the purpose of improving mental and physical health and preventing and treating diseases.  Relaxation therapy is often used in combination with systematic desensitization therapy, and can also be used alone to treat various anxiety neurosis and phobias, and has a good effect on the physical and mental diseases of individual systems. In recent years, relaxation training has developed into five major types: one is progressive muscle relaxation, the second is natural training, the third is self-hypnosis, the fourth is silence or meditation, and the fifth is biofeedback-assisted relaxation. Among them, the second, third and fourth types also have the element of self-hypnosis, just like the relaxation gong in Chinese qigong therapy. Chinese qigong, Indian yoga, Japanese sitting meditation, German self-generation training, American progressive relaxation training, and transcendental meditation are all self-control training with relaxation as the main purpose.  Specific steps: (1) “Take a deep breath in and hold it for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, please breathe out slowly, breathe out slowly. (Pause for a moment) Now let’s do it again, please take a deep breath in and hold it for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, please breathe out slowly, breathe out slowly. (Pause for a moment) (2) “Now, stretch out your forearm and make a tight fist, clench it hard and pay attention to the feeling in your hand. (about 15 seconds) Okay, now relax, completely relax your hands, experience the feeling of relaxation, you may feel heavy, relaxed, or warm, these are all signs of relaxation, please pay attention to these feelings. (Pause for a moment.) Let’s do it again now.” (Same as above) (3) “Now start to relax your arms, first bend hard and tense your arm muscles, hold for a while and feel the tension in your arm muscles.” (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, completely relax your arms, experience the feeling after relaxation. (Pause for a moment.) Now let’s do it again.” (Same as above) (4) “Now, start practicing how to relax your feet. Okay, tense your feet, grip the ground with your toes, grip hard, hard, hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax your feet completely. (Pause for a moment.) Now let’s do it again.” (Same as above) (5) “Now, relax the muscles in your calf area. Please put your toes up hard, heels down and back and press the ground tightly, tense the muscles on your calves, hold for a moment, hold for a moment. (About 15 seconds) Okay, relax, completely relax your feet. (Pause for a moment.) Now let’s do it again.” (Same as above) (6) “Now, relax the muscles in your thighs. Please press your heels forward and down on the ground, tense your thigh muscles and hold for a moment. (About 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause for a moment.) Let’s do it again.” (Same as above) (7) “Now let’s relax the head muscles. Please crinkle the forehead muscles, crinkle, crinkle, hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause for a moment.) Now, rotate your eyeballs, up, to the left, to the bottom, to the right, picking up speed. Okay, now rotate your eyeballs in the opposite direction, faster, okay, stop, relax, relax completely. (pause for a second) Now, clench your teeth, clench hard, hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (pause) Now, hold your tongue against your upper jaw and push up hard and hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause) Now, tighten your jaw, push hard, hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause for a moment.) Let’s do it again.” (ditto)” (8) “Now, please relax the muscle groups on your torso. Okay, please expand your shoulders back, expand them back hard, expand them hard, hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause for a moment.) Let’s do it again.” (same as above)” (9) “Now, lift your shoulders upward as close to your earlobes as you can. Lift your shoulders up hard and hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause for a moment.) Let’s do it again.” (Same as above)” (10) “Now, tighten your shoulders inward, hard, and hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause for a moment.) Let’s do it again.” (ditto)” (11) “Now, lift your legs, lift your legs upward, bend your waist, bend your waist hard, hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause for a moment.) Let’s do it again.” (same as above)” (12) “Now, tense your gluteal muscles and lift your perineum up hard and hold for a moment. (about 15 seconds) Okay, relax, relax completely. (Pause for a moment.) Let’s do it again.” (Ditto) “(Rest for 3 minutes and do the relaxation again from start to finish) End relaxation This is the whole relaxation process, now feel the muscle groups in your body, from bottom to top, so that each group of muscles is in a relaxed state. (about 20 seconds) Notice the warm, pleasant, relaxed feeling as you relax and hold that feeling for as long as possible for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, I will count to “five” and when you open your eyes, you will feel calm, peaceful and refreshed. (Pause 1~2 minutes) Okay, I will start counting, ‘one’ feel calm, ‘two’ feel very calm and peaceful, ‘three’ feel refreshed, ‘ four’ feel especially refreshed, ‘five’ please open your eyes.